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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: craft · tube · clip · cabinet · rash · face · fork · safe

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — a skill
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — for paper
  14. tube — the underground
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — a video
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. face — to point toward

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