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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 120 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: drill · race · calf · club · bound · rest · content · bear

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. club — for golf
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — a group
  18. rest — what's left
  19. content — happy
  20. drill — army training
  21. bound — certain
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. race — humankind

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