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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 116 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: cue · march · safe · mark · bound · squash · race · fall

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — a hint
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — a grade
  20. race — humankind
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. race — a contest
  23. bound — obliged
  24. safe — out of danger

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