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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.

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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 · safe · calf · band · rest · fine · cold · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cold — not warm
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — all right
  14. drill — army training
  15. cold — an illness
  16. stand — to bear
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a ring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. safe — a strongbox

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