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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 116 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 · cell · pop · rush · net · stick · season · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — hurry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — for catching
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pop — to visit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — after costs
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pop — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rush — to hurry

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