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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: march · rash · temple · foot · branch · press · chip · drill

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — newspapers
  13. march — the month
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — a division
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. drill — army training
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. march — music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. foot — a measure
  24. drill — a practice

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