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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 · pitcher · rash · rush · kick · safe · cell · wave

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — a phone
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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