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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: craft · saw · fall · safe · bay · mug · court · wound

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — of a king
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fall — the season
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of law
  24. mug — a cup

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