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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: trunk · wind · fall · bass · file · mark · date · safe

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. file — a tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bass — the fish
  15. date — the fruit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — low music
  18. fall — the season
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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