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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · safe · trunk · row · tear · hide · court · sharp

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tear — to rip
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — a line
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — clever

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