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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · season · arm · drill · safe · mine · mark · stem

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mark — a grade
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. season — of the year
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — army training
  16. mine — for digging
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — to point toward
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. face — part of the head

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