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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 116 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: fan · bore · wound · pass · bat · safe · trunk · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bore — to tire
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bore — to drill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bat — for baseball

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