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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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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: safe · stick · degree · bound · bear · jam · craft · nail

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bound — certain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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