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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lash · band · degree · stand · trunk · game · mine

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. band — a ring
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. degree — an amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mine — for digging
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. game — a match
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stand — on your feet

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