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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: fan · safe · fork · squash · last · mark · net · bank

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — to go on
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — for catching
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. net — in sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — to crush
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. last — final
  21. mark — a trace
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. last — finally

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