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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 · safe · bowl · straw · net · cell · last · lie

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. craft — boats
  9. last — to go on
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cell — in biology
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — final
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. craft — a skill
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — out of danger

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