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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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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 · rush · race · field · rest · wind · stick

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — a subject
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — a contest
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. field — farmland
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rest — a break
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bore — to drill

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