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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. pop — soda
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pop — music
  11. drill — army training
  12. pop — to visit
  13. roll — a cake
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rush — hurry
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bowl — to roll

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