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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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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: staff · arm · wake · fall · net · mate · safe · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. staff — employees
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mine — for digging
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mate — to breed
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. fall — to drop
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — the season
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. net — in sport

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