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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: ground · bowl · craft · mug · safe · branch · rush · last

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. last — final
  3. craft — boats
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mug — a face
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ground — crushed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — a position
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — the earth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. last — to go on
  24. branch — a division

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