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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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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: lie · race · court · safe · arm · net · firm · wound

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. race — a contest
  3. net — after costs
  4. court — of a king
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — for catching
  10. race — humankind
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — a company
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. firm — decided
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. lie — to recline

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