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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: wake · present · roll · coach · race · tear · rest · safe

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — a trail
  5. race — a contest
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — a break
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — humankind
  16. tear — from crying
  17. race — the arms race
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — a gift
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. present — there

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