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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 120 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: fan · face · ruler · craft · present · pitcher · tear · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — a gift
  8. tear — from crying
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tear — to rip
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — the time now
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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