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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: rock · face · root · drill · saw · safe · sharp · chip

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rock — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. face — to confront
  8. root — of a word
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — a stone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. root — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. safe — out of danger

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