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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: rock · lash · mate · tear · pit · race · game · safe

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. race — the arms race
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — a friend
  11. race — a contest
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. game — a match
  19. mate — to breed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — wild animals

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