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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · mouse · rock · press · roll · drill · branch · stand

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. drill — a practice
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rock — music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. branch — a division
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — to push
  18. roll — a list
  19. chest — a box
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chest — of your body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com