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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 120 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: safe · mouse · fork · chest · firm · band · trunk · mine

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. firm — steady
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chest — a box
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chest — of your body
  21. firm — decided
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. firm — a company
  24. band — a music group

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