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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 120 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: straw · safe · bay · drill · tube · bound · hide · ruler

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — tied together
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tube — the underground
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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