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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: drill · ball · hide · chair · snap · rule · safe · stand

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. snap — to click
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. rule — a law
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rule — government
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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