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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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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — the most important part
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. suit — clothes
  21. key — in music
  22. date — the fruit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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