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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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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: rest · bay · trunk · hand · safe · race · lie · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. hand — help
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hand — in cards
  7. race — a contest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lie — to recline
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. race — humankind
  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