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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 116 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: stick · craft · hide · kid · content · safe · rush · lean

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — thin
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — happy
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. craft — boats
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hide — to keep secret

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