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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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Word bank
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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 · roll · perch · spell · wax · chest · safe · squash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. race — humankind
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — a box
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. roll — a cake
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spell — magic
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — a list
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — letters
  24. chest — of your body

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