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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: wind · safe · rock · racket · chest · fork

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chest — a box
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger

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