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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · pop · bat · cabinet · snap · safe · mine

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. season — of the year
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. snap — to click
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mine — for digging
  10. season — in sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. craft — a skill

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