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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · chest · last · swing · safe · temple

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — a box
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. swing — to play on
  6. last — finally
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — of your body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — the arms race
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. race — a contest

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