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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: present · bay · key · trunk · toast · fall · last · safe

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. last — finally
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. last — to go on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. key — in music
  12. present — the time now
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — final
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. present — a gift
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. present — there
  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