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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: content · ruler · safe · mate · saw · sharp · fine · drill

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — army training
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. content — happy
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. content — the amount
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — all right
  24. sharp — exactly

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