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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: bass · drill · firm · sharp · safe · face · bat · club

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. firm — steady
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. sharp — clever
  7. club — for dancing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. drill — a practice
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. club — for golf
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bass — the fish
  16. drill — army training
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. firm — a company
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. firm — decided
  23. bass — low music
  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