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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: clip · content · safe · ground · trunk · bank · fall · key

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — to cut
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — the earth
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. clip — a video
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fall — the season
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ground — a position
  15. key — the most important part
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — crushed
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. fall — to drop

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