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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · tube · branch · plane · craft · cold · pit · sharp

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — a division
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — a handicraft

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