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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: race · sharp · safe · bound · board · mouse · kid · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — to get on
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — tied together
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. roll — a cake
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — certain
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. race — humankind
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. race — a contest
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. kid — child
  24. race — the arms race

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