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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: stick · field · bay · tear · last · trunk · cell · safe

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cell — in biology
  10. last — to go on
  11. field — for sport
  12. last — final
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — finally
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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