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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — humankind
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. race — a contest
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. race — the arms race

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