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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 · safe · net · lie · toast · board · roll · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — humankind
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. roll — a cake
  8. board — to get on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. net — for catching
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. race — the arms race
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lie — to recline
  22. toast — bread
  23. roll — a list
  24. staff — employees

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