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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. race — the arms race
  4. object — a thing
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — the fish
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bank — for money
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bank — for money
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — to protest
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. race — humankind
  22. bass — low music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rock — music

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