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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
468
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: dip · rash · fork · mouse · safe · game · perch · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to sink
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. perch — the fish
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. dip — to dunk

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