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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: prune · face · hand · stand · club · craft · pound · safe

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — a group
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hand — help
  5. club — for dancing
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stand — to bear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — a weight
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. face — to confront
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. face — to point toward
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. craft — boats
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. club — for golf

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