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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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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: pop · wound · trunk · safe · tube · rest · cabinet · roll

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pop — music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. tube — a container
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — a break
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — soda
  15. roll — a list
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — to visit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tube — the underground

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