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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. last — finally
  3. suit — to fit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cell — a phone
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. last — final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. suit — clothes

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