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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: can · saw · arm · field · chest · stock · safe · bulb

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. chest — a box
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chest — of your body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. can — a tin
  15. field — farmland
  16. stock — goods
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. field — a subject
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chest — of your body
  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