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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: ball · race · wound · drill · can · spell · staff · safe

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ball — a dance
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wound — an injury
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — army training
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — humankind
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. staff — employees
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — 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