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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: safe · spring · band · deal · bark · calf · face · file

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bark — to shout
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — a coil
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. band — a music group
  14. spring — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. band — a ring
  19. face — part of the head
  20. file — a document
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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