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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. clip — to cut
  5. drill — a practice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — size or range
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. drill — army training
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — letters
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — magic
  22. clip — a video
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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