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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: safe · arm · scale · rest · club · lean · kid · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — in music
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — a group
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — a break
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kid — child

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