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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.

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
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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: drill · safe · chair · bowl · squash · wound · fine · hide

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. drill — army training
  12. fine — all right
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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