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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: dip · branch · drill · land · field · bound · chest · nail

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chest — a box
  4. field — for sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — certain
  10. land — to come down
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. drill — the tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. land — a country
  15. bound — tied together
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — ground
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. field — a subject
  23. dip — to dunk
  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