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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: net · arm · safe · hand · cue · branch · prune · rock

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — a signal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. branch — a division

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