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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · prune · cold · safe · craft · mate · current · stand

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. craft — boats
  10. current — happening now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — electric
  15. cold — an illness
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. current — of water
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cold — not warm
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — to bear

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