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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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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: suit · bowl · last · face · band · safe · bat · track

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — clothes
  5. track — a path
  6. band — a music group
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. last — to go on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. last — final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. band — a ring
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — a song
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — in cards
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — finally

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