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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 120 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: spring · bound · safe · craft · calf · tube · saw · net

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — of water
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — after costs
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. tube — the underground
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — a skill
  22. spring — the season
  23. tube — a container
  24. craft — a handicraft

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