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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.

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: object · cap · drill · staff · file · safe · spring · arm

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. spring — the season
  6. file — a tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — a lid
  10. object — a thing
  11. spring — a coil
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. drill — a practice
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — army training
  17. file — a document
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — of water
  20. cap — a hat
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — to protest
  24. file — a line of people

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