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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: key · spell · safe · stand · game · wake · fork · file

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a document
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spell — letters
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — the most important part
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. spell — magic
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — for a lock

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