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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: pass · saw · chest · face · pitcher · foot · safe · drill

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school 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. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. drill — army training
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — to point toward
  20. drill — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — a practice
  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