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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: ground · race · hand · safe · pass · wake · chair · bore

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. race — a contest
  16. ground — a position
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — help
  23. race — the arms race
  24. chair — a professorship

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