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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. roll — a cake
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. drill — a practice
  22. roll — a list
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — the tool

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