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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a great time
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mug — to rob
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. club — for golf
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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