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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · safe · hide · pitcher · squash · arm · track · craft

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — for digging
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a skill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. squash — to crush
  21. track — to keep track
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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