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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 120 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: face · foot · season · file · current · safe · plane · rule

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a tool
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a line of people
  10. current — happening now
  11. file — a document
  12. current — electric
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rule — a law
  15. season — of the year
  16. rule — government
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. foot — a measure
  20. plane — a tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. foot — the bottom

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