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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 120 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: drill · safe · bound · chest · wound · arm · band · ball

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ball — a dance
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — of your body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chest — a box
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bound — certain
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. band — a music group

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