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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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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: ball · sharp · wound · prune · branch · safe · degree · arm

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a great time
  7. degree — temperature
  8. prune — to trim
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wound — an injury
  13. degree — an amount
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. degree — from a university
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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