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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · leaves · coach · safe · race · mouse · object · spell

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. race — a contest
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — letters
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — to protest
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. race — humankind
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. object — a thing

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