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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: face · safe · board · net · march · date · snap · stem

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — part of the head
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. face — to point toward
  9. date — the fruit
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. board — a committee
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. net — for catching
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. face — to confront
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. date — on the calendar

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