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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: chest · march · mine · bowl · drill · charge · rash · safe

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. charge — a price
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rash — a series
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. mine — for digging
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — in control
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. march — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — a football final

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