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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: mine · lean · spell · rock · roll · lie · safe · club

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. spell — letters
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mine — for digging
  6. club — for golf
  7. rock — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. club — a group
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lean — thin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — a stone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — magic
  24. roll — on a roll

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