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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: object · face · bear · roll · safe · lean · foot · key

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. roll — a list
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — thin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. foot — a measure
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lean — to bend
  24. foot — part of the body

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