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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.

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: drill · clip · ball · straw · racket · safe · shower · content

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. shower — to wash
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. shower — rain
  12. clip — for paper
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — happy
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — army training
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — videos and posts

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