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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.

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: rash · safe · coach · fork · spell · mine · hand · staff

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. rash — a series
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — help
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fork — in a road
  24. staff — a stick

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