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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: lie · saw · present · rush · bound · ball · field · drill

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. field — farmland
  12. ball — a great time
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — to recline
  22. present — the time now
  23. bound — certain
  24. saw — 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