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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. craft — boats
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. march — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — a skill
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — to come from
  23. file — a document
  24. march — the month

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