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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: kid · safe · sharp · arm · club · rash · pit · cell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cell — a phone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rash — a series
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. club — for golf
  15. cell — in biology
  16. kid — child
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kid — to tease
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. club — for dancing

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