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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: fork · key · safe · nail · face · rest · bowl · staff

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. key — in music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. face — part of the head
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — a break
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to confront
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — a football final

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