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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: mark · tear · leaves · trunk · bay · safe · land · pit

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pit — a hole
  7. land — a country
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tear — to rip
  11. land — to come down
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a trace
  18. land — ground
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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