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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 120 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: root · staff · bound · safe · swing · object · stick · craft

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — tied together
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — a thing
  8. staff — employees
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — an aim
  12. root — of a word
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. root — the cause
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. root — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bound — certain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a skill

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