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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: bound · craft · suit · wind · safe · nail · mine · rest

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — in cards
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rest — a break
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — boats
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. suit — clothes

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