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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: safe · track · race · face · temple · date · saw · bore

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — a path
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — the arms race
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to point toward
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. track — a song
  16. race — a contest
  17. date — the fruit
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to tire
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bore — gave birth

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