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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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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: safe · bank · chest · squash · rash · drill · lean · ruler

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — thin
  6. chest — a box
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. squash — the sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rash — a series
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — to crush
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bank — for money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ruler — for measuring

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