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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.

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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 · rule · dip · safe · band · fork · rash · foot

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. band — a music group
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rash — hasty
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rash — a series
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rule — government
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. band — a ring

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