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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — to go on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. last — finally
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — to drill
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — final
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bank — of a river
  24. squash — the vegetable

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