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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · drill · stand · bark · degree · kick · craft · mug

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — certain
  6. kick — in football
  7. bound — tied together
  8. degree — from a university
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mug — a face
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kick — a thrill

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