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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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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: content · firm · trunk · fall · drill · rash · safe · band

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — happy
  6. fall — the season
  7. drill — the tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — a company
  14. fall — to drop
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rash — a series
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — the amount
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. band — a music group
  24. firm — decided

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