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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: safe · deal · race · last · tube · arm · ball · cue

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. race — a contest
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ball — a great time
  13. last — final
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tube — a container
  16. deal — to handle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. race — the arms race
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — to go on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ball — a dance
  24. arm — part of the body

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