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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mark · band · prune · hide · track · race · hand

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. race — humankind
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. race — a contest
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mark — a trace
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mark — a grade
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a ring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hand — help

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