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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · last · straw · pitch · face · safe · can · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — finally
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — final
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. face — part of the head
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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