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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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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: pit · court · stem · cue · tube · straw · safe · lie

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — to recline
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — a container
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of a king
  18. pit — in a race
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stem — of a plant

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