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

Word bank: arm · cap · file · bank · safe · prune · tear · sharp

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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. file — a line of people
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bank — for money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. file — a tool
  20. sharp — clever
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — a hat

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