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

Word bank: wave · jam · land · trunk · bound · mark · field · safe

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. land — ground
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — a subject
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bound — obliged
  13. land — a country
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mark — a trace
  17. land — to come down
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — for sport
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. jam — a tight spot

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