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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: face · safe · net · club · snap · firm · spell · mine

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spell — a short time
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to confront
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. club — for dancing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. club — a group
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. net — for catching
  13. snap — to click
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — to point toward
  16. club — for golf
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — magic
  19. mine — for digging
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. spell — letters
  24. net — after costs

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