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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — humankind
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — to tease
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kid — child
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. race — the arms race

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