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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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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: fall · wind · bay · net · saw · last · safe · craft

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. last — final
  4. net — after costs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wind — moving air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. last — to go on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. last — finally
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — a horse colour

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