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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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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: pop · fall · last · safe · kick · race · bay · coach

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fall — the season
  8. kick — in football
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — final
  17. pop — soda
  18. race — a contest
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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