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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. race — a contest
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — certain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. race — humankind
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — a line
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mouse — for a computer

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