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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: race · wind · club · safe · bay · ruler · land · stem

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. race — a contest
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. land — a country
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. race — humankind
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for golf
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — a group
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — for dancing
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. land — to come down

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