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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · lean · file · fork · safe · game · scale · wave

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a match
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. file — a line of people
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. file — a tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. scale — in music
  21. file — a document
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lean — thin

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