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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 116 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: lean · bay · safe · cap · race · current · mouse · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. race — humankind
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — wild animals
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — of ice
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lean — thin

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