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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · bound · rush · degree · mouse · bore · land · plane

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — a country
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bound — certain
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. drill — army training

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