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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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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: firm · face · mark · safe · deal · lean · rule · clip

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lean — to bend
  3. clip — a video
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — decided
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. firm — steady
  11. clip — to cut
  12. firm — a company
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. face — to point toward
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mark — a trace
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. rule — government
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — to handle

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