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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.

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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: band · drill · safe · bore · lean · mouse · cold · lie

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bore — to drill
  4. drill — army training
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. band — a music group
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lie — to recline
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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