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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: rule · saw · safe · present · chest · kick · race · rock

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — music
  3. kick — in football
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. present — there
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — a contest
  15. rule — government
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rule — a law
  18. present — the time now
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — a gift
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. race — the arms race

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