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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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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: march · field · key · face · snap · mine · mark · safe

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. face — to point toward
  3. field — farmland
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — in music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. field — for sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. face — part of the head
  13. snap — to click
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — the month

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