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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 116 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 · bore · dip · can · safe · lie · field · pass

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. field — for sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bore — to drill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — a subject
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. field — farmland
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of a car

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