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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: bound · saw · mouse · key · trunk · row · file · drill

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. row — a line
  5. drill — army training
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. drill — a practice
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. file — a document
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. drill — the tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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