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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 · rest · foot · squash · tube · stock · plane · safe

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. race — humankind
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stock — goods
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — a contest
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stock — shares
  21. rest — a break
  22. tube — a container
  23. race — the arms race
  24. squash — the vegetable

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