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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: craft · wound · jam · mine · snap · cell · safe · bear

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cell — in biology
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. snap — to click
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. safe — out of danger

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