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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. band — a ring
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — a group
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. club — for golf
  15. roll — a list
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kid — child
  22. roll — a cake
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. foot — a measure

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