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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: field · safe · tear · bulb · craft · bound · rock · cabinet

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — certain
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — a stone
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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