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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: bound · safe · drill · stick · cold · file · bark · suit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — obliged
  4. suit — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cold — an illness
  8. drill — army training
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — a practice
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bound — certain
  18. suit — to fit
  19. file — a document
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — not warm
  24. safe — out of danger

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