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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: wound · safe · drill · bowl · chest · fan · sharp · present

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chest — of your body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — army training
  8. chest — of your body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — the time now
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — clever
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — there
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. present — a gift
  24. wound — an injury

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