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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: leaves · foot · craft · jam · hide · last · safe · pound

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. foot — a measure
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — boats
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. last — final
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. last — finally
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pound — to hit hard

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