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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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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 · deal · club · tube · kid · arm · temple · fork

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. club — for golf
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — a group
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — child
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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