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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · club · arm · bound · spell · game · cell · lie

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — a phone
  3. club — for golf
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lie — to recline
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bound — certain
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spell — letters
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — magic
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. safe — out of danger

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