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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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Word bank
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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: fan · can · stand · wake · mug · safe · net · fork

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mug — a cup
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. net — for catching
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — a face
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. net — in sport
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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