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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · leaves · safe · saw · swing · hide · spell · straw

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — a short time
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spell — letters
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. craft — boats
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — magic
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. leaves — to go away

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