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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · safe · rest · court · straw · land · row · mug

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. drill — a practice
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. land — a country
  6. court — of a king
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mug — a face
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — a line
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — army training
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — ground
  19. mug — a cup
  20. drill — the tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rest — a break

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