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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — to point toward
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. roll — a list
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — a song
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fine — high quality
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. roll — a cake

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