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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: tear · pit · bear · wake · arm · safe · can · sharp

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bear — to put up with

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