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

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. land — a country
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. kid — child
  24. mate — a partner

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