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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: staff · spell · arm · drill · bound · fall · jam · mouse

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — certain
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. staff — employees
  13. drill — the tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fall — the season
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. staff — a stick
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — a short time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spell — magic
  24. bound — tied together

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