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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.

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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: drill · stick · jam · degree · court · branch · lean · snap

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. drill — army training
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. court — for sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. degree — from a university
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. snap — to click
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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