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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · field · lie · fine · game · chip · tube · safe

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — a container
  13. field — for sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — high quality
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — all right
  22. field — a subject
  23. lie — an untruth
  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