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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mate — a friend
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. charge — a price
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — obliged
  20. charge — in control
  21. bound — certain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — to crush
  24. face — to confront

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