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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 120 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: bear · hand · saw · safe · fall · mate · rock · arm

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hand — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bear — the animal

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