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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.

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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: trunk · band · rush · last · mouse · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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 a car
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. last — finally
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — final
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring

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