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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lean · safe · track · straw · spell · bass · band

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. track — to keep track
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — letters
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. band — a music group
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — low music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. track — a song
  15. race — the arms race
  16. band — a ring
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lean — thin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. straw — dry grass

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