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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a path
  3. wind — moving air
  4. face — to confront
  5. board — to get on
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. face — part of the head
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. board — a committee
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — a flat piece

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