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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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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: saw · ground · kick · band · bound · drill · suit · foot

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — in cards
  5. band — a music group
  6. bound — obliged
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bound — certain
  16. foot — a measure
  17. kick — in football
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. ground — a position
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — the earth
  23. suit — to fit
  24. band — a ring

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