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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: bound · rush · drill · coach · perch · row · lie · saw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — to paddle
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — tied together
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — to recline

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