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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 116 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: spell · race · bowl · mine · stick · safe · chair · coach

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — a contest
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. bowl — to roll

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