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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.

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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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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: rest · face · cabinet · pound · kid · safe · coach · bear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. face — to confront
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  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