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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: mine · present · net · hand · wound · safe · craft · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. present — there
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. craft — boats
  12. mine — for digging
  13. suit — in cards
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — a gift
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — for catching
  21. suit — to fit
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. wound — an injury

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