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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 120 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 · temple · pitcher · race · rush · deal · craft · stem

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. race — humankind
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. craft — boats
  13. rush — hurry
  14. race — the arms race
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — a contest
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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