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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: drill · wake · game · field · mine · trunk · safe · bay

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wake — a trail
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — for digging
  13. field — for sport
  14. drill — the tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. game — a match
  17. field — farmland
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. drill — army training

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