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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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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: board · bear · race · safe · season · file · prune · lash

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — the arms race
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. season — of the year
  19. file — a document
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. race — a contest
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — to get on

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