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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: drill · roll · spell · face · deal · safe · march · ground

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. face — to confront
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spell — a short time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. drill — army training
  12. ground — the earth
  13. march — the month
  14. face — part of the head
  15. roll — a cake
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ground — a position
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. ground — crushed
  24. drill — the tool

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