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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: safe · wind · field · arm · calf · bass · leaves · file

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. file — a document
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. field — a subject
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a tool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. field — farmland

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