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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to confront
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. suit — in cards
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rest — a break
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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