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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · dip · drill · board · ground · tear

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — the earth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — to sink
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ground — a position
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tear — from crying

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