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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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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: lean · snap · straw · rock · spell · safe · present · face

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. face — part of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. snap — to click
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — music
  17. present — a gift
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. present — the time now
  22. spell — magic
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. present — there

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