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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: trunk · branch · chest · fine · row · saw · dip · safe

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — high quality
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chest — a box
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  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