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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
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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: safe · dip · band · content · straw · club · ball · trunk

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. dip — to sink
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. content — the amount
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. band — a music group
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. band — a ring
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a dance
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. content — happy

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