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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: bound · drill · wake · deal · saw · perch · object · sharp

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — clever
  8. drill — the tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — tied together
  19. object — a thing
  20. perch — the fish
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. sharp — with an edge

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