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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: firm · club · fork · row · kid · lean · safe · lie

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. firm — a company
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lie — to recline
  8. row — a line
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lean — to bend
  11. club — for golf
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. firm — decided
  21. lean — thin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kid — child

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