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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 116 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: snap · lie · game · safe · craft · staff · cold · coach

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cold — an illness
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — wild animals
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — to recline
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to click
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cold — not warm
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. craft — boats

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