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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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468
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: bat · safe · spell · cabinet · land · snap · fall · drill

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. spell — magic
  4. drill — a practice
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. drill — army training
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fall — to drop
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — letters
  20. land — ground
  21. snap — to click
  22. land — a country
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. safe — out of danger

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