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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 · spell · vault · rule · race · deal · ball · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — a contest
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. drill — army training
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — a law
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ball — a dance
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rule — government

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