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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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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: squash · nail · mark · bore · last · bound · key · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. bound — obliged
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — finally
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — a trace
  11. key — in music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bound — certain
  14. bore — to drill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — a grade
  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