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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 · tube · bat · temple · sharp · stick · safe · pit

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. craft — boats
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bat — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — the underground
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — in a race
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pit — a hole

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