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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: wind · file · fine · safe · drill · cap

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — army training
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fine — all right
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. drill — the tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cap — a hat
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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