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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fine — all right
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — in sport
  12. mine — for digging
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. board — a committee
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. season — of the year
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — to confront
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. board — to get on

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