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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: season · ground · scale · leaves · arm · trunk · safe · straw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. season — in sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. scale — size or range
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — crushed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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