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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · hide · drill · craft · key · ground · wound · safe

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — army training
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — boats
  21. key — in music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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