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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.

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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: fork · chair · charge · fine · safe · last · wake · trunk

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — in control
  11. chair — a leader
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fine — high quality
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fork — in a road
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. last — to go on

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