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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.

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: hand · lash · bound · fan · mug · arm · safe · pitcher

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hand — help
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bound — obliged

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