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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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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: firm · pound · field · drill · shower · arm · safe · temple

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. firm — steady
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. shower — rain
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — army training
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. firm — a company
  20. field — a subject
  21. shower — to wash
  22. drill — the tool
  23. field — for sport
  24. firm — decided

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