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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · bass · arm · sharp · staff · safe · bowl · cold

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bass — low music
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cold — an illness
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cold — not warm

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