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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: deal · safe · game · land · lean · nail · pitcher · face

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lean — thin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — wild animals
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. land — a country
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. nail — on a finger

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