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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: suit · kick · fork · drill · can · season · bound · file

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bound — tied together
  4. drill — army training
  5. kick — in football
  6. bound — certain
  7. file — a tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fork — in a road
  14. suit — to fit
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. suit — in cards
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. season — of the year
  22. bound — obliged
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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