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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — a list
  14. rest — a break
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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