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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: toast · bay · staff · mine · trunk · rock · safe · cold

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — an illness
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — for digging
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. staff — employees
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. toast — bread
  24. cold — not warm

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