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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 120 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: cell · safe · nail · mine · bark · drill · foot · mark

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — army training
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mark — a grade
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mine — belonging to me

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