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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: hide · hand · key · spell · safe · race · chest · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — in music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chest — a box
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — for a lock
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — magic
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. race — a contest
  24. spell — a short time

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