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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 120 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: hide · march · sharp · track · safe · lean · rash · game

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. march — the month
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. march — the month
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — clever
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. track — a path
  19. march — music
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. game — a kind of play

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