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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: bowl · drill · rush · file · safe · cabinet

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — army training
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bowl — to roll

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