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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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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: safe · cabinet · face · field · root · fine · clip · race

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. field — for sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — the cause
  7. face — to point toward
  8. race — a contest
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. clip — a video
  13. race — humankind
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — to confront
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — to cut
  19. face — part of the head
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. fine — all right
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — the arms race

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