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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: safe · ball · hand · kick · drill · tube · stem · mouse

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — army training
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hand — help
  12. ball — a dance
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stem — to come from
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a round shape

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