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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.

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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: present · bound · wind · mouse · staff · chest · wake · drill

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — tied together
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bound — certain
  11. staff — employees
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chest — a box
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wind — moving air
  18. drill — a practice
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — a gift
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — a stick

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