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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: wound · track · drill · mug · board · craft · kick · lean

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. drill — the tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — army training
  6. track — a song
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — to keep track
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — a practice
  23. board — to get on
  24. track — a path

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