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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 · ground · trunk · safe · patient · bay · squash · arm

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ground — the earth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. squash — to crush

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