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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.

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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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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 · mark · present · safe · roll · wind · rock · arm

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. mark — a trace
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — music
  14. present — there
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wind — moving air
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — army training
  20. rock — a stone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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