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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
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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: wave · sharp · safe · bear · stock · arm · cell · prune

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — shares
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. sharp — clever
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — in biology
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. safe — a strongbox

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