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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 · lean · cabinet · arm · wake · land · safe · net

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lean — to bend
  9. land — a country
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — for catching
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — in sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — after costs
  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