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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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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: safe · craft · arm · mine · rock · kid · mark · bass

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bass — low music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — child
  24. arm — part of the body

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