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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 120 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: mug · fine · fall · branch · ball · hide · race · drill

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. drill — army training
  3. branch — a division
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. race — humankind
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — high quality
  12. race — a contest
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mug — to rob
  20. race — the arms race
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mug — a face
  23. fall — the season
  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