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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: wind · race · craft · safe · march · coach · temple · bear

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. craft — boats
  10. wind — moving air
  11. race — a contest
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — humankind

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