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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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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — in cards
  4. season — of the year
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hand — help
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. craft — a skill
  18. scale — size or range
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ground — the earth
  24. season — in sport

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