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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — a phone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kid — to tease
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. craft — boats
  17. sharp — clever
  18. craft — a skill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to sink
  24. craft — a handicraft

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