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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — a box
  5. face — part of the head
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — in music
  11. face — to confront
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. key — for a lock
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fine — all right
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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