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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.

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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: branch · drill · snap · mouse · lash · fall · file · bound

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bound — certain
  14. file — a tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. file — a document
  17. snap — to click
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. file — a line of people
  24. branch — a division

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