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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: arm · band · content · can · spell · safe · lie · pitch

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a ring
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — magic
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — letters
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lie — to recline
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a music group
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitch — a sports field

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