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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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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: roll · safe · present · race · court · face · snap · pass

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. snap — to click
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. court — for sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. present — the time now
  7. face — to point toward
  8. race — the arms race
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. court — of a king
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. race — humankind
  16. court — of law
  17. face — part of the head
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. roll — a cake
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — a contest
  22. pass — a permit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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