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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 116 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: rock · board · mate · fork · cell · saw · safe · band

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cell — a phone
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a music group
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fork — in a road
  19. band — a ring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — a committee
  24. safe — out of danger

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