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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. drill — army training
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. land — a country
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. branch — a division
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kid — to tease
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — the tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. kid — child
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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