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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.

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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: wake · lie · pass · mug · mine · straw · pit · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — a trail

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