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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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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 · safe · rush · jam · calf · rock · mine · face

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rock — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — to point toward
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. drill — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. face — to confront
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — part of the head
  24. calf — a young animal

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