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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.

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: stick · field · mate · drill · charge · safe · mouse · wake

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — a subject
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. field — farmland
  18. charge — in control
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. charge — a price
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. drill — the tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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