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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: pit · fork · spring · wind · safe · drill · suit · spell

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — army training
  6. spell — letters
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fork — in a road
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. spell — magic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pit — a hole
  24. suit — in cards

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