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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: toast · pit · safe · wound · row · nail · kick · face

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pit — a hole
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. toast — bread
  11. wound — an injury
  12. face — part of the head
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — in football
  16. row — a line
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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