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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: jam · mine · net · drill · safe · fall · bay · bear

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. net — for catching
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. net — after costs
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — belonging to me

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