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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 · plane · drill · tear · rock · coach · kick · ground

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. plane — a tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rock — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — crushed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — in football
  23. drill — army training
  24. tear — to rip

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