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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: hand · fine · stick · safe · ruler · fork · sharp · mate

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. hand — help
  6. mate — a partner
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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