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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.

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: face · squash · fine · bat · row · racket · safe · patient

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — all right
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. squash — the sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — part of the head
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bat — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. squash — to crush
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. face — to point toward
  21. row — to paddle
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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