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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: plane · straw · safe · arm · roll · cabinet · hide · trunk

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. roll — a list
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. roll — a cake
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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