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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bore · pitch · race · last · hide · fan · leaves

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — the arms race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitch — completely
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — to tire
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — finally
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — animal skin

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