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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 120 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: can · bore · present · club · rash · saw · straw · bound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. club — a group
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — a gift
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rash — a series
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to tire
  15. present — the time now
  16. rash — hasty
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. present — there
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. club — for golf
  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