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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 120 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: sharp · wake · ruler · safe · fork · charge · mine · bear

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — in a road
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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