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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: bound · pop · cabinet · nail · fork · safe · craft · foot

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — boats
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — tied together
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — obliged
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — certain

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