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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. net — in sport
  3. face — part of the head
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chair — a leader
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. face — to confront
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — after costs
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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