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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 · row · safe · band · key · fall · prune · date

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fall — to drop
  5. row — to paddle
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — a line
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a music group
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. band — a ring
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — a quarrel

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