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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · face · ground · safe · row · hide

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — to point toward
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — a position
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — magic
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — letters
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. row — to paddle

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