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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 116 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: key · race · file · pass · safe · firm · chair · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — humankind
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — steady
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rest — a break
  11. file — a document
  12. pass — a permit
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — a contest
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — decided
  21. key — for a lock
  22. firm — a company
  23. chair — a leader
  24. file — a line of people

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