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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: drill · bound · hand · spring · present · stand · nail · ball

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. drill — the tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. present — there
  10. spring — of water
  11. hand — help
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. drill — army training
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. drill — a practice
  20. spring — the season
  21. bound — certain
  22. stand — to bear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a great time

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