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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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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 · march · fine · drill · craft · tear

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fine — all right
  3. drill — the tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. march — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — army training
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. march — the month
  14. tear — from crying
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fine — high quality

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