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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: wind · calf · row · stick · bowl · lie · safe · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — moving air

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