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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: rock · bound · safe · lash · nail · chip · arm · cell

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bound — obliged
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bound — certain
  24. nail — for a hammer

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