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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — in music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pit — a hole
  20. key — the most important part
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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