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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 · mark · court · roll · craft · lean · rest · safe

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mark — a grade
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — a part of something

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