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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: bay · mine · safe · row · craft · pound · bulb · sharp

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bulb — for light
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. safe — a strongbox

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