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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: pass · bay · bound · mine · wake · drill · squash · ruler

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. squash — to crush
  3. drill — army training
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — tied together
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ruler — for measuring

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