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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: safe · trunk · pound · perch · present · mark · wound · band

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. present — a gift
  4. mark — a trace
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — the time now
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. trunk — of a car

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