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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: nail · straw · cue · safe · drill · face · hide · deal

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — part of the head
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. drill — the tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — to handle
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. drill — army training
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. safe — a strongbox

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