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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · stick · chair · pass · rush · file · calf · bound

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. drill — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — army training
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — a leader
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chair — a professorship

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