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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: safe · chip · craft · cell · row · pitcher · hide · wound

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — a phone
  3. row — a line
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wound — an injury
  8. craft — boats
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — to eat
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. craft — a skill
  24. row — a quarrel

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