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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: clip · wave · content · safe · pit · rest · press · fork

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — a hole
  5. clip — for paper
  6. content — happy
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — to push
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pit — in a race
  19. clip — a video
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — with your hand

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