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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: mug · craft · spell · kid · file · safe · bat · foot

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — letters
  4. kid — child
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — magic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mug — a face
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. spell — a short time
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mug — a cup
  15. foot — a measure
  16. kid — to tease
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — a skill
  22. file — a tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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