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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: arm · safe · season · race · date · bear · spring · net

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — in sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. race — the arms race
  12. season — of the year
  13. date — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — a coil
  18. race — a contest
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — after costs
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — to add flavour

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