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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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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: safe · stick · saw · board · last · fork · hide · wake

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. board — to get on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. board — a committee
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — final
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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