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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: can · file · branch · bore · fan · safe · ground · race

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bore — to drill
  4. race — humankind
  5. file — a line of people
  6. race — a contest
  7. file — a tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — the arms race
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ground — the earth
  16. file — a document
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — a strongbox

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