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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 120 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: track · safe · drill · tear · mug · suit · bass · last

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. bass — the fish
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — clothes
  5. last — final
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. tear — from crying
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — low music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — a path
  14. last — to go on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — to fit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — army training
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — the tool
  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