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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: march · safe · mate · club · arm · racket · stem · face

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. face — to confront
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mate — a friend
  10. march — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — to come from
  19. club — for golf
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. club — a group

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