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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — army training

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