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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.

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: cold · dip · can · safe · ground · arm · foot · branch

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — to sink
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. foot — a measure
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — crushed
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. branch — a division
  18. can — a tin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ground — the earth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — of a tree

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