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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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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: band · staff · squash · craft · pound · safe · kick · bulb

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — a weight
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the sport
  10. band — a ring
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — a skill
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. band — a music group
  24. safe — a strongbox

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