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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: bound · board · staff · rule · deal · kick · drill · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bound — certain
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. drill — a practice
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kick — in football
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. rule — government
  16. drill — the tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kid — to tease
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — army training
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — a law
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bound — tied together

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