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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: craft · cold · content · safe · swing · saw · rash · root

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. root — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cold — an illness
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rash — a series
  12. craft — a skill
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. root — the cause
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — the amount
  20. swing — music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. content — happy
  23. craft — boats
  24. cold — the Cold War

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