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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: straw · bound · bear · deal · saw · branch · scale · drill

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. drill — army training
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. branch — a division
  7. scale — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bound — certain
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — to handle

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