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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · sharp · leaves · fan · rock · fork · safe · kid

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. kid — child
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — to tease
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cold — an illness
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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