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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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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: face · cap · game · ruler · key · lash · safe · fall

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a hat
  6. face — to confront
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — wild animals
  22. key — for a lock
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. face — part of the head

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