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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: lash · branch · rock · drill · cabinet · row · game · present

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. row — a line
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. game — wild animals
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rock — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. game — a match
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — to paddle
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — to lash out

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