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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: straw · race · band · kick · row · rule · safe · roll

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. band — a music group
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kick — in football
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. band — a ring
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — a contest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. row — a quarrel

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