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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wind — moving air
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. net — after costs
  11. capital — money
  12. face — to point toward
  13. net — for catching
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — a law
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — government
  20. capital — a city
  21. face — to confront
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. nail — for a hammer

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