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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: swing · game · foot · bound · rash · safe · rush · race

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bound — tied together
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. race — a contest
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — obliged
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — a series
  24. safe — out of danger

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