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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: chest · safe · cue · lie · mine · present · tube · fan

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — there
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. present — a gift
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chest — a box
  21. present — the time now
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lie — an untruth

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