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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: bound · roll · hide · nail · straw · drill · cap · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — certain
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bound — obliged
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — army training
  16. roll — a list
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cap — of ice
  23. drill — a practice
  24. straw — dry grass

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