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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 120 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: field · wind · land · dip · craft · safe · pop · rest

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. field — a subject
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. field — farmland
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — ground
  12. rest — a break
  13. land — a country
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. craft — boats
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — a skill
  22. field — for sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rest — what's left

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