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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.

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: safe · fan · arm · lean · cold · hand · mark · march

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. march — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — to bend
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lean — thin

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