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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 116 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: mouse · trunk · craft · squash · lean · saw · drill · bound

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bound — certain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. craft — boats
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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