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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: tear · march · safe · drill · ruler · season

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tear — to rip
  9. season — in sport
  10. drill — army training
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. season — of the year
  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