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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.

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: fan · drill · mate · safe · cold · squash · tube · foot

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — a container
  4. cold — not warm
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. foot — a measure
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mate — a friend
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — to breed
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cold — an illness
  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