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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · file · prune · bass · wound · arm · pitcher · object

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. object — to protest
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — low music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — an aim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — an injury

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