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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · rash · arm · safe · object · ball · land · deal

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ball — a great time
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. land — a country
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. object — a thing
  8. rash — hasty
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. object — an aim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rash — a series

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