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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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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 · safe · last · ball · jam · cue · band · bound

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — obliged
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — to point toward
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bound — certain
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to confront
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. last — final
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bound — tied together
  19. band — a music group
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — a signal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. last — to go on
  24. band — a ring

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