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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: roll · safe · kid · object · staff · bound · coach · arm

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kid — to tease
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — certain
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — obliged
  9. roll — a cake
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. roll — a list
  16. staff — a stick
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — child
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — a thing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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