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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: kick · rule · safe · rest · race · spring

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — a break
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spring — the season
  6. race — humankind
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — of water
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rule — government
  17. kick — in football
  18. spring — a coil

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