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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
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: game · wake · key · nail · drill · chair · safe · squash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. drill — a practice
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — a trail
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — in music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. drill — army training
  20. squash — the sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chair — a leader
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. game — a match

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