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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: saw · fan · drill · bound · firm · row · roll · pound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. roll — a list
  3. firm — decided
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. firm — a company
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. firm — steady
  11. bound — obliged
  12. drill — army training
  13. bound — certain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. pound — a weight
  24. drill — a practice

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