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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: tube · face · fine · foot · safe · court · degree · lie

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. face — to point toward
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — of a king
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. degree — an amount
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — high quality
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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