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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — a series
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. drill — a practice
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kick — in football
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — obliged
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bound — certain
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. season — of the year
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kick — a thrill

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