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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: mine · arm · fan · wake · safe · stock · rest · saw

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — shares
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rest — what's left
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — a break

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