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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · fan · ball · face · hand · foot · safe · mate

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mate — a partner
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. face — to point toward
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — to breed
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mate — a friend
  19. foot — a measure
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — part of the body

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