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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: roll · lash · wound · face · fan · game · ruler · safe

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wound — an injury
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. face — to confront
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. game — a match
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. roll — a list
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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