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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.

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: tear · face · cabinet · safe · racket · ball · fine · track

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ball — a dance
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — a path
  6. face — to confront
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — all right
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ball — a great time
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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