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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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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 · spell · drill · fork · fine · staff · net · hide

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. drill — a practice
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spell — a short time
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — for catching

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