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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 · wake · board · spring · nail · branch · race · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — to get on
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — a division
  13. race — humankind
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — the season
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — a contest
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — a series
  24. safe — out of danger

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