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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. safe — a strongbox

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