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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: wake · fork · lie · safe · mark · last · swing · nail

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. last — final
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — finally
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mark — a grade
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — to play on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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