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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · arm · bowl · mark · staff · safe · fan · march

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. land — ground
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — a country
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — to come down
  24. march — music

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