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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: tube · branch · bear · charge · straw · rest · hand · drill

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rest — what's left
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. hand — help
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. charge — a price
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — a division
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. drill — the tool

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