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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · bowl · present · tube · rush · spell · race · safe

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. race — a contest
  3. present — the time now
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — magic
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spell — letters
  11. present — a gift
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. present — there
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. tube — a container
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. race — humankind

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