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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: rash · shower · kid · land · safe · clip · stand · arm

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — a country
  7. stand — to bear
  8. shower — rain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. land — to come down
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. rash — hasty
  16. clip — for paper
  17. kid — child
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — ground
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — on your feet

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