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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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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: pass · last · racket · foot · drill · file · saw · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. drill — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — to go on
  5. bound — certain
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — final
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. file — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a document
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — army training
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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