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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mug — a face
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cell — in biology
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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