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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · hand · chip · land · roll · safe · bear · hide

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. race — a contest
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — the arms race
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — to come down
  8. roll — a list
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bear — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hand — help
  17. land — a country
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — ground
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bear — the animal

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