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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · tear · patient · hand · rock · safe · bound · mouse

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — certain
  20. rock — a stone
  21. hand — help
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tear — to rip
  24. patient — a sick person

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