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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: safe · hand · rash · toast · race · game · rest · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. toast — bread
  6. race — humankind
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — help
  10. firm — a company
  11. rash — hasty
  12. game — wild animals
  13. firm — decided
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rash — a series
  16. rest — a break
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. race — a contest
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rest — what's left

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