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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: tube · bat · safe · wave · chair · face · track · present

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — to keep track
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. present — the time now
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — there
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. tube — a container
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. face — to point toward
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. face — to confront
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — a gift
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. safe — a strongbox

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