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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: plane · fork · pit · safe · hand · spell · present · temple

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pit — in a race
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a hole
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — there
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — a tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. plane — an aircraft

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