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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. face — to point toward
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a music group
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — a break
  16. present — a gift
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — there
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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