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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: chair · plane · safe · roll · craft · snap · can · cabinet

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. can — to be able to
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to click
  14. roll — a list
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. roll — a cake
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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