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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 120 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: stick · race · band · court · wound · safe · wave · can

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a ring
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. court — of a king
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. court — for sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. can — to be able to
  24. band — a music group

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