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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.

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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: present · safe · bass · pit · face · spring · bear · row

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. present — there
  12. row — a line
  13. bass — low music
  14. spring — the season
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spring — of water
  23. row — a quarrel
  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