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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: mouse · current · wave · mine · safe · hand · fall · fork

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fall — the season
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. current — electric
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fall — to drop
  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