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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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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: object · mark · cap · rash · mine · drill · bound · rest

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — of ice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. object — an aim
  8. bound — tied together
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — a break
  13. rash — a series
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cap — a hat

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