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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: hide · fall · wind · nail · race · safe · board · squash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — a committee
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — to get on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fall — the season
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. race — humankind
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — a contest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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