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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: saw · suit · ball · safe · temple · face · season · content

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. suit — in cards
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ball — a great time
  9. face — to point toward
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — to fit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — clothes
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. season — of the year
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. season — in sport
  21. content — the amount
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — happy

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