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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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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: fall · staff · rock · foot · drill · rush · mouse · branch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. drill — army training
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — a division
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — a stone
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. drill — the tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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