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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 116 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: last · band · swing · mine · fork · safe · cap · craft

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. craft — a skill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a music group
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. last — finally
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fork — in a road
  16. craft — boats
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — to go on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. last — final
  24. safe — a strongbox

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