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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 116 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
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: mine · drill · lash · mark · season · cold · safe · fan

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. season — in sport
  5. mine — for digging
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. season — of the year
  12. cold — an illness
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. safe — out of danger

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