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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: safe · rest · press · snap · craft · hide · net · nail

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — to push
  19. net — for catching
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — a break
  22. snap — to click
  23. press — newspapers
  24. safe — out of danger

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