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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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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: cell · pound · bay · sharp · craft · band · safe · stick

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. craft — boats
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a music group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. band — a ring

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