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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mine · content · row · safe · wound · fine · game · arm

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. content — happy
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. content — the amount
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. row — a line
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. game — a match
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mine — for digging
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — a penalty

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