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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: arm · lean · game · roll · bound · court · craft · safe

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. craft — a skill
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bound — tied together
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — boats
  10. game — a match
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bound — certain
  13. lean — to bend
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — obliged
  21. court — of a king
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. lean — to rest against

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