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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: tear · safe · lie · spell · fork · pit · club · fine

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — a group
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tear — to rip

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