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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bore — to tire
  4. object — to protest
  5. drill — a practice
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — the fish
  8. drill — army training
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — certain
  13. march — music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — an aim
  17. bore — to drill
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — a series
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bore — gave birth

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