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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.

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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: swing · file · arm · safe · bay · wound · rush · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a tool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. swing — in golf
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. swing — music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rush — hurry
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. file — a document
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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