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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 116 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 · drill · nail · swing · leaves · cell · straw · spell

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. swing — in golf
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — in biology
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — certain
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cell — a phone
  13. drill — army training
  14. spell — letters
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. drill — the tool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — a practice
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. spell — magic

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