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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.

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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: trunk · safe · pit · mate · cell · rock · hide · sharp

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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 car
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cell — a phone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — in a race
  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