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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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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: pit · safe · race · lash · suit · wake · hide · branch

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — the arms race
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. suit — to fit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pit — in a race
  24. race — humankind

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