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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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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: straw · kid · mug · drill · cell · rule · fine · safe

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kid — to tease
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kid — child
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cell — in biology
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — a face
  16. fine — all right
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. drill — army training
  24. cell — a phone

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