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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 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. face — to point toward
  3. row — a line
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chip — for betting
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — to paddle
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. face — to confront
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — a stick
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a city
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. capital — money
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — for a lock
  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