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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: rash · prune · fall · safe · degree · mate · mark · race

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rash — a series
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a trace
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mate — a partner
  12. race — a contest
  13. mate — to breed
  14. degree — an amount
  15. race — humankind
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — the arms race
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. degree — from a university
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — hasty

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