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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a city
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — certain
  6. capital — money
  7. kid — to tease
  8. band — a ring
  9. lie — to recline
  10. band — a music group
  11. bound — obliged
  12. kid — child
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. face — to confront
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — a big letter

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