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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · safe · fall · bay · fan · rush · cue · drill

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. drill — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — army training
  23. fall — the season
  24. drill — a practice

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