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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
468
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: tube · court · safe · content · toast · lie · wake · mine

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — for sport
  3. tube — the underground
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — a trail
  6. content — the amount
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. court — of law
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — to recline
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — happy
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. court — of a king

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