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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: hand · craft · fork · fall · sharp · stem · pitch · safe

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — in cards
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fall — the season

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