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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: mine · board · dip · content · nail · foot · drill · bound

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. board — a committee
  4. drill — a practice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. drill — the tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — the amount
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — obliged
  18. content — happy
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bound — certain
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — to sink
  24. foot — the bottom

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