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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 · arm · face · pound · cabinet · hand · race · mine

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pound — a weight
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. race — humankind
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. race — a contest
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — help
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. face — to confront

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