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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: fork · date · rule · face · safe · roll · cabinet · content

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. roll — a list
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. face — to confront
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — part of the head
  11. roll — a cake
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. face — to point toward
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rule — government
  23. content — happy
  24. fork — in a road

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