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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · club · cold · ruler · bay · safe · mine · foot

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for golf
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. club — a group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cold — an illness
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bay — a horse colour

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