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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: jam · fine · safe · foot · roll · hand · bound · row

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — help
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bound — certain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. roll — a list
  16. foot — a measure
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — all right
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. row — a line

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