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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: board · saw · key · kid · mate · drill · row · bound

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — to tease
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mate — a friend
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. row — to paddle
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — in music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bound — certain
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bound — obliged
  22. kid — child
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — to breed

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