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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · lean · bass · pitcher · last · safe · rush · track

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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 — a practice
  2. last — to go on
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — army training
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. last — final
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — the tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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