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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 116 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: spell · spring · stand · hide · lie · safe · content · kid

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — of water
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — to tease
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — happy
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kid — child

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