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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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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: cell · trunk · bay · fork · safe · mark · season · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — a phone
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fork — in a road
  20. season — in sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cell — in biology
  23. safe — out of danger
  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