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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — clothes
  3. craft — a skill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wound — an injury
  6. firm — steady
  7. wound — an injury
  8. row — a line
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — boats
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. firm — decided
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — to bear
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — a company
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — to fit
  23. row — to paddle
  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