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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: stem · race · charge · straw · safe · bay · kick · mine

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — a contest
  11. mine — for digging
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. race — humankind
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — in football
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. straw — a straw man

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