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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: safe · stick · cue · mine · wind · drill · ruler · cap

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cap — a lid
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — army training
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ruler — a monarch

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