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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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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 · temple · safe · bound · drill · kick · bark · kid

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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 — with a leg
  2. bound — obliged
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. kid — child
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bound — certain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — to shout
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — army training
  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