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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: mark · cap · face · roll · object · safe · last · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — a thing
  9. cap — a hat
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — a cake
  14. object — an aim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cap — a lid
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — finally
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mark — to pay attention

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