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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: toast · season · rush · safe · deal · mine · face · rock

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. season — in sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rock — music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — of the year
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. toast — bread
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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