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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: safe · tube · game · wound · lie · squash · race · leaves

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. game — wild animals
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. game — a match
  18. race — a contest
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — humankind
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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