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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. file — a line of people
  7. present — there
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. mine — for digging
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cell — a phone
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in biology

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