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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: lean · ball · safe · sharp · face · row · wound · arm

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. face — to confront
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lean — thin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. face — part of the head
  12. row — a line
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to bend
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wound — an injury
  24. face — to point toward

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