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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: stick · rest · ball · wave · race · safe · date · coach

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ball — a great time
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — a break
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — humankind
  18. date — the fruit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. race — a contest
  24. date — on the calendar

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