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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: straw · race · arm · safe · wax · kid · fork · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. race — a contest
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. kid — child
  13. fork — in a road
  14. race — humankind
  15. wax — to grow
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kid — to tease
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. safe — a strongbox

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