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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. drill — the tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. drill — a practice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. season — of the year
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — in sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rush — to hurry

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