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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 120 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: safe · rest · court · saw · board · straw · face · bowl

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. court — of law
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. court — of a king
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. face — part of the head
  24. straw — a straw man

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