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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: nail · clip · saw · game · bay · ground · arm · safe

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ground — the earth
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ground — a position
  16. clip — a video
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ground — crushed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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