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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: kid · board · hide · drill · wave · bound · perch · mouse

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — child
  3. bound — obliged
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kid — to tease
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a committee
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — certain
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wave — with your hand

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