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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 116 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: board · hand · safe · drill · stick · fine · fan · saw

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hand — in cards
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. hand — help
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — a practice
  23. board — a committee
  24. drill — army training

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