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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — to breed
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — a gift
  12. bank — of a river
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. present — the time now
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — there
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a friend
  24. trunk — of a tree

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