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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a lid
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. last — to go on
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. last — final
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a great time
  24. key — in music

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