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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 · wind · saw · game · nail · fork · spring · squash

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spring — the season
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. game — a match
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spring — of water

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