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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hand — help
  6. face — to confront
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. face — to point toward
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. net — in sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. roll — a cake
  14. net — for catching
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. net — after costs
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ground — the earth
  21. field — farmland
  22. hand — in cards
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — part of the head

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