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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: staff · march · arm · ball · wake · safe · current · tear

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — electric
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — employees
  18. wake — a trail
  19. march — the month
  20. current — happening now
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. arm — part of the body

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