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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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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 · safe · lean · band · saw · wound · club · pit

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. club — for dancing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — a group
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wound — an injury
  17. craft — boats
  18. club — for golf
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lean — to bend
  21. band — a ring
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — thin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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