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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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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: can · pound · safe · craft · firm · rest · stick · bat

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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. bat — in an idiom
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. craft — a skill
  7. firm — steady
  8. rest — a break
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. craft — boats
  13. pound — a weight
  14. firm — a company
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. firm — decided
  24. can — a tin

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