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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 116 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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468
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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pass — a permit
  9. band — a ring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. race — a contest
  14. ground — a position
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. safe — out of danger

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