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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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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: race · leaves · bowl · safe · rule · squash · fine · row

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. row — a line
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. race — a contest
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. race — the arms race
  24. leaves — of a tree

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