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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 120 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: wound · mine · mouse · club · trunk · pit · wake · safe

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — a trail
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wound — an injury
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. club — for dancing
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. club — for golf
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. safe — out of danger

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