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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.

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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.

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: craft · mine · face · bat · hide · safe · fan · object

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to confront
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. object — to protest
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — the animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — an aim
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. object — a thing

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