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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 · content · fall · safe · spell · arm · lie · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — to drop
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spell — letters
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — to go on
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fall — to drop
  24. arm — a part of something

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