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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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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: safe · face · mark · arm · object · clip · bear · stem

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. stem — to come from
  18. clip — a video
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — an aim
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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