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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: sharp · band · degree · arm · stock · safe · hide · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a music group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — from a university
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. degree — temperature
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stock — goods
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. band — a ring
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — an amount
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. safe — out of danger

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