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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.

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: mine · plane · present · content · drill · perch · safe · spring

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — the season
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — the time now
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — of water
  14. mine — for digging
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. content — happy
  18. present — there
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spring — a coil
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — the tool

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