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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.

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: cabinet · fork · file · mouse · pop · cue · safe · craft

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. cue — for pool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — a strongbox

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