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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. board — a committee
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. shower — rain
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wind — moving air

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