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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. face — to confront
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. snap — to click
  6. pound — a weight
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fine — all right
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. face — part of the head
  17. degree — from a university
  18. craft — boats
  19. degree — temperature
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. degree — an amount
  23. face — to point toward
  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