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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mate — a friend
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. face — part of the head
  5. race — a contest
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stand — to bear
  15. face — to confront
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — humankind
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to point toward
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mate — a partner
  24. nail — on a finger

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