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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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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: fork · snap · scale · roll · safe · wave · leaves · kick

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. roll — a cake
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. roll — a list
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — size or range
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. snap — to click
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. kick — in football
  24. fork — to eat with

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