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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: foot · rule · spell · safe · dip · swing · band · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spell — a short time
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. band — a ring
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — a measure
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — government
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a music group
  19. dip — to sink
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spell — letters
  24. swing — music

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