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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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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 · swing · wound · arm · fork · safe · rest · object

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. swing — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. swing — in golf
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rest — a break
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. object — an aim
  24. roll — a list

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