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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: bay · bear · ball · hand · content · safe · toast · trunk

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — bread
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. content — happy
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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