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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: safe · current · mine · bay · cabinet · arm · cold · band

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a ring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. current — of water
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a music group
  21. current — happening now
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. safe — out of danger

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