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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.

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: fall · safe · tube · spring · lie · fan · mine · squash

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spring — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. spring — the season
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — a container
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — out of danger
  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