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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: season · fall · craft · bank · pop · ground · safe · sharp

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bank — of a river
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — the season
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — a position
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — boats
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — soda
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pop — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. season — of the year
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — in sport
  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