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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. bound — obliged
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wake — a trail
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. scale — size or range
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bound — certain
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. race — the arms race
  24. scale — in music

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