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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · bear · stand · leaves · key · board · drill · saw

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. key — for a lock
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. key — in music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. board — a committee
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bear — the animal

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