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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: firm · bore · bank · bound · safe · mate · race · last

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bore — to tire
  3. race — humankind
  4. bound — certain
  5. firm — decided
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — finally
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — to go on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — obliged
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. race — the arms race
  18. last — final
  19. race — a contest
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — a company
  24. bank — for money

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