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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: hide · pop · safe · face · hand · board · file · wake

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — to get on
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pop — to visit
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. file — a document
  23. face — to point toward
  24. safe — out of danger

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