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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: mate · safe · chair · mark · kick · fork · file · bear

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. file — a tool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — in football
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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