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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: bound · object · wake · craft · safe · rash · field · content

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — the amount
  5. rash — a series
  6. object — a thing
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bound — certain
  9. content — happy
  10. field — a subject
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. field — for sport
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rash — hasty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — obliged
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — to protest
  24. bound — tied together

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