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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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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: mine · lie · file · calf · safe · present · fork · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. file — a document
  5. present — a gift
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mine — for digging
  19. present — there
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. file — a 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