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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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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: bear · ruler · land · mark · cell · pit · safe · face

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. land — ground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pit — in a race
  21. land — to come down
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — to confront
  24. land — a country

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