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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: sharp · spell · net · firm · arm · safe · chest · ground

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spell — letters
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — a short time
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — the earth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — a company
  15. net — after costs
  16. firm — decided
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. chest — a box
  19. spell — magic
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. firm — steady
  24. arm — a part of something

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