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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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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 · club · kid · safe · drill · can · mate · dip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — to tease
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. drill — the tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for golf
  10. kid — child
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — a group
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — army training
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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