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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: cell · can · wind · coach · craft · mine · safe · dip

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. dip — to sink
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cell — a phone
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cell — in biology
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. craft — boats
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — a skill

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