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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 · face · track · plane · wake · dip · straw · rule

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. track — a song
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to sink
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rule — a law
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rule — government
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wake — a trail
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. face — to point toward
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — to keep track
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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