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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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 confront
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a line of people
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bank — of a river
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. snap — to click
  20. face — part of the head
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. file — a document

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