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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — to confront
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — there
  14. rest — a break
  15. current — of water
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — electric
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — part of the head
  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