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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.

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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: safe · cap · suit · kid · spell · row · cell · drill

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. kid — to tease
  6. spell — magic
  7. cap — of ice
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cap — a lid
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cell — a phone
  17. suit — clothes
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. drill — army training
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. row — a line
  24. kid — child

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