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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: chair · nail · net · squash · arm · bound · wax · safe

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — a leader
  8. net — in sport
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — after costs
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. squash — to crush
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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