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

Word bank: wind · straw · charge · safe · file · craft · bound · mark

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a document
  4. charge — in control
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bound — tied together
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. craft — boats
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. file — a tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — electricity
  14. file — a line of people
  15. craft — a skill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — a price
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bound — obliged
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — certain

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