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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · mine · safe · fan · track · nail · racket · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lie — to recline
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pit — in a race
  24. track — a path

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