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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: cell · game · hide · safe · track · content · wake · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — to keep track
  5. game — wild animals
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. game — a match
  9. content — happy
  10. mate — a friend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. track — a song
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cell — in biology
  20. track — a path
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. content — the amount
  23. cell — a phone
  24. hide — animal skin

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