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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
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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: chair · safe · mouse · face · hide · bat · rock · file

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. file — a line of people
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a tool
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. bat — the animal
  24. file — a document

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