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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — in biology
  8. drill — the tool
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — a practice
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cell — a phone
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — a place of worship

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