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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 · roll · shower · safe · chair · cue · rock · rush

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chair — a leader
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — army training
  15. cue — a hint
  16. drill — the tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — rain
  20. cue — a signal
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rock — a stone
  24. roll — on a 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