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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: rush · mine · drill · bat · ruler · season · rock · safe

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. drill — a practice
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. season — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — for digging
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  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