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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: pass · safe · saw · face · spring · hand · dip · cold

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hand — help
  7. spring — of water
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. face — to confront
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hand — in cards
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cold — not warm
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pass — a permit
  24. saw — the tool

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