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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: safe · dip · staff · firm · kid · bound · march · arm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bound — tied together
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — a stick
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bound — certain
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kid — child
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — to tease

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