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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: roll · coach · branch · tear · fork · drill · can · temple

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. roll — a cake
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. can — a tin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. branch — a division
  10. roll — a list
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tear — to rip
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. drill — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — from crying

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