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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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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: bear · drill · ruler · safe · court · pass · mark · cold

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cold — an illness
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of law
  18. drill — the tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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