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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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468
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: band · arm · cell · ball · leaves · safe · trunk · rash

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rash — a series
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cell — in biology
  13. band — a ring
  14. cell — a phone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a dance
  24. safe — out of danger

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