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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: safe · lie · swing · key · mine · ruler · chair · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — for a lock
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. drill — army training
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. swing — music
  24. key — the most important part

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