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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: hand · saw · safe · stand · can · bore · fan · drill

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — to drill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. can — to be able to
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hand — in cards
  24. saw — the tool

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