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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: hide · rule · key · toast · safe · march · fan · race

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. march — the month
  4. race — a contest
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — humankind
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — bread
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — government
  14. key — for a lock
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. key — in music
  17. march — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rule — to rule out

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