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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: arm · safe · row · band · rock · prune · last · bowl

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. last — finally
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. last — to go on
  5. band — a music group
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. row — to paddle
  8. band — a ring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. last — final
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rock — a stone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rock — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. row — a line
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — a strongbox

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