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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: face · tube · object · safe · lash · date · chair · game

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. game — wild animals
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — a thing
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. object — an aim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tube — the underground
  11. face — part of the head
  12. object — to protest
  13. face — to confront
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — a match
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — a container
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chair — a leader

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