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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 120 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: craft · rule · fan · field · rush · safe · perch · calf

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. field — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — boats
  8. rule — a law
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. field — a subject
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — farmland
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rule — government

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