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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 · safe · stand · bark · patient · march · present · cabinet

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — a gift
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — of a tree

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