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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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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: fine · lean · ground · pitcher · safe · spring · trunk · bark

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — thin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fine — all right
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ground — a position
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ground — crushed

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