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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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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 · saw · season · leaves · ruler · kid · safe · wax

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — to tease
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wax — to grow
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. kid — child
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. leaves — to go away

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