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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: field · temple · cabinet · drill · foot · safe · deal · wind

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — a practice
  4. field — for sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. field — farmland
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — a subject
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. foot — a measure
  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