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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.

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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: firm · bound · bowl · board · drill · trunk · rash · last

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. drill — a practice
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. drill — army training
  5. bound — certain
  6. firm — a company
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — the tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. last — to go on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. board — to get on
  13. firm — steady
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. last — final
  18. board — a committee
  19. rash — hasty
  20. last — finally
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rash — a series

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