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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: rush · drill · hand · game · safe · bark · mine · mug

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. drill — army training
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bark — to shout
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hand — help
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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