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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: race · safe · lie · season · arm · bear · cap · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. season — of the year
  3. lie — to recline
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. season — in sport
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — of ice

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