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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. race — a contest
  3. present — the time now
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — hasty
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. race — humankind
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — in sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — a gift
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — there
  23. race — the arms race
  24. band — a ring

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