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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · safe · face · hand · fork · nail · mug · wave

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mug — a cup
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hand — help
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — low music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mug — a face

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