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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: fork · safe · last · file · jam · spell · board · wax

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — letters
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — to get on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. wax — to grow
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. fork — in a road
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. file — a line of people
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. last — finally

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