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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: deal · pitch · wax · nail · race · bound · arm · drill

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. drill — army training
  12. race — a contest
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bound — certain
  23. wax — to grow
  24. arm — part of the body

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