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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: safe · nail · wake · land · hand · arm · bound · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bound — certain
  11. hand — help
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. land — a country
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — ground
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. land — to come down

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