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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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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. craft — boats
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a skill
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. suit — clothes
  12. land — to come down
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. suit — in cards
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. capital — money
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  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