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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: safe · last · spell · trunk · ruler · bowl · season · arm

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. last — finally
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — magic
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. season — of the year
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. last — final
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — to go on

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