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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
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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: drill · race · lean · last · safe · craft · scale · net

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — size or range
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. race — a contest
  10. lean — to bend
  11. craft — a skill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — thin
  15. last — final
  16. race — the arms race
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. craft — boats
  20. drill — army training
  21. scale — in music
  22. race — humankind
  23. net — after costs
  24. drill — a practice

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