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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 · bound · clip · nail · safe · wake · mine · march

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mine — for digging
  3. clip — a video
  4. bound — tied together
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bound — certain
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. clip — to cut
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — boats

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