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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
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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: drill · cap · bay · game · safe · roll · date · wound

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. drill — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. drill — army training
  9. game — a match
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. date — the fruit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. roll — a list
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. drill — a practice
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — a hat

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