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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: staff · lie · safe · arm · mine · pitch · dip · chest

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. dip — to sink
  7. staff — a stick
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lie — to recline
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chest — of your body

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