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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · mate · safe · band · hand · game · craft · bulb

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cell — a phone
  5. craft — boats
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. band — a ring
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a music group
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — help
  21. mate — a friend
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. band — a rubber band

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