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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. drill — a practice
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bound — certain
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — electric
  14. last — to go on
  15. current — of water
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — a division
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — army training
  21. last — final
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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