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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: court · nail · bark · lean · bound · mouse · drill · sharp

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bound — tied together
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. lean — to bend
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. court — of a king
  18. bark — to shout
  19. court — for sport
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lean — thin
  23. court — of law
  24. nail — for a hammer

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