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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 · kick · mark · straw · bass · plane · fall

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — low music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fall — the season
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mark — a grade
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — certain
  21. bass — the fish
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. drill — army training
  24. mark — a trace

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