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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: bat · spring · drill · fine · rash · safe · bound · coach

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spring — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rash — hasty
  11. drill — army training
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rash — a series
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — all right
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fine — high quality
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bat — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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