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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: bore · straw · bound · key · dip · plane · drill · club

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — to sink
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bound — certain
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. drill — a practice
  13. club — for golf
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — army training
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. key — in music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — a group
  24. straw — dry grass

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