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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 · bound · row · mark · toast · deal · hand · race

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — certain
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a line
  13. deal — to handle
  14. toast — bread
  15. bound — obliged
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hand — help
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. row — to paddle
  22. race — the arms race
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. deal — a big deal

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