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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: safe · wave · race · bound · bowl · rest · season · mark

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. race — humankind
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — a break
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. race — a contest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — certain
  23. race — the arms race
  24. season — of the year

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