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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.

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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.

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 · clip · wake · shower · object · safe · ruler · rash

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — army training
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. clip — a video
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — to wash
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. drill — a practice
  18. object — to protest
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. object — a thing
  22. shower — rain
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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