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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: safe · band · land · rash · rule · track · fork · lean

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. track — a song
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — in a road
  11. land — to come down
  12. band — a ring
  13. track — a path
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. land — ground
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. land — a country

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