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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. board — a committee
  7. capital — a city
  8. face — part of the head
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. club — for golf
  15. board — to get on
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mine — for digging
  19. capital — money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. club — a group

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