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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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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: snap · hand · face · nail · bound · clip · plane · safe

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bound — certain
  7. clip — a video
  8. snap — to click
  9. hand — in cards
  10. plane — a tool
  11. clip — to cut
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bound — obliged
  19. clip — for paper
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hand — help
  24. nail — on a finger

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