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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: drill · craft · saw · root · present · snap · bound · game

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. drill — army training
  3. root — the cause
  4. snap — to click
  5. game — a match
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. present — there
  16. game — wild animals
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. root — of a word
  20. present — a gift
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. drill — a practice
  24. craft — a handicraft

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