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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 · nail · lash · safe · squash · bound · dip · file

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — tied together
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. squash — to crush
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bound — obliged
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. race — a contest
  19. file — a document
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to sink

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