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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: race · pop · land · arm · wake · kick · safe · rash

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rash — a series
  5. land — ground
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — to visit
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — music
  11. land — to come down
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pop — soda
  14. kick — in football
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. race — a contest
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — humankind
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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