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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 120 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: band · fall · dip · suit · drill · wind · safe · pitcher

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. suit — clothes
  17. drill — army training
  18. dip — to sink
  19. band — a ring
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. band — a music group
  22. fall — the season
  23. dip — to dunk
  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