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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: lie · safe · arm · stock · court · bound · clip · can

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. court — of law
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — to cut
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stock — goods
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. can — to be able to
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. court — of a king
  23. bound — certain
  24. can — a tin

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