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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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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: suit · club · drill · safe · ruler · bark · rock · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — army training
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — to shout
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. suit — in cards
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — to turn a key

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