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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: craft · stick · chair · safe · rule · season · lean · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. craft — boats
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. net — after costs
  18. rule — a law
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — in sport
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rule — government
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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