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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: calf · drill · mark · game · wind · deal · bound · nail

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a match
  8. bound — certain
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mark — a trace
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — tied together

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