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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.

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: nail · face · safe · lash · field · bear · content · pitcher

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — to confront
  5. content — the amount
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. content — happy
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — a subject
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — out of danger
  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