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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: lie · mark · saw · game · safe · bear · ruler · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fork — in a road
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  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