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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: safe · drill · stand · plane · wake · lash · race · foot

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — a contest
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — a practice
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — humankind
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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