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

Word bank: drill · row · safe · cap · kick · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. row — a line
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cap — of ice
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kick — in football
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — a hat
  15. drill — army training
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger

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