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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 120 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cue — a hint
  12. scale — in music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. drill — a practice
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. drill — the tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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