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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 120 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: clip · safe · coach · race · rash · current · perch · temple

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — a contest
  8. current — happening now
  9. rash — a series
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. current — of water
  16. rash — hasty
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. race — humankind
  22. current — electric
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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