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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a tool
  4. march — music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. last — to go on
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — hurry
  11. last — final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a document
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — to recline
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. file — a line of people
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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