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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — goods
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mine — for digging
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. snap — to click
  14. stock — shares
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — help
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. calf — a young animal

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