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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.

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: safe · object · march · court · season · ground · wind · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. march — the month
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. court — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — music
  9. season — of the year
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. face — to confront
  14. march — the month
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. season — in sport
  19. court — of law
  20. object — an aim
  21. ground — the earth
  22. object — a thing
  23. court — of a king
  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