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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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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: safe · race · file · wake · bear · spring · squash · foot

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. spring — the season
  10. file — a tool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. file — a document
  13. foot — a measure
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. squash — the sport
  21. race — a contest
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. foot — 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