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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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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: mate · leaves · deal · row · safe · race · board · rock

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — to handle
  9. row — a line
  10. mate — a friend
  11. race — the arms race
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — music
  14. race — humankind
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a committee
  20. row — to paddle
  21. race — a contest
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. deal — a big deal

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