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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: calf · prune · current · arm · safe · toast · net · clip

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — a video
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. current — electric
  9. toast — bread
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. current — happening now
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — to trim
  19. clip — for paper
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — to cut

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