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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: ruler · capital · wake · file · face · hide · fork · safe

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. file — a line of people
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a document
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. capital — money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. face — to confront
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — to point toward

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