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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: leaves · safe · file · land · face · bowl

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. face — part of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. land — a country
  8. file — a line of people
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — to confront
  13. file — a tool
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. land — to come down
  18. leaves — of a tree

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