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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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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: foot · safe · face · temple · deal · vault · cue · capital

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — to confront
  7. cue — for pool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. face — part of the head
  10. vault — a safe
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — a hint

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