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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: march · wind · safe · file · key · bore · prune · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. bore — to drill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. march — music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bound — certain
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. march — the month
  23. bound — obliged
  24. key — for a lock

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