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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mark — a grade
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — in music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — army training
  23. roll — a list
  24. cell — a phone

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