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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 120 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: nail · board · content · degree · coach · bound · safe · saw

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — happy
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — the amount
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bound — tied together
  23. saw — the tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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