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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: firm · object · safe · wound · wake · spring · craft · rock

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. spring — a coil
  3. firm — decided
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. object — a thing
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — a trail
  9. craft — boats
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. craft — a skill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spring — of water
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. firm — steady

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