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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: hand · face · straw · court · plane · suit · sharp · safe

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. face — to point toward
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hand — help
  7. face — part of the head
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. plane — in geometry

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