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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
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: bear · safe · arm · cold · mug · face · trunk · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cold — an illness
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mug — a face
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cold — not warm
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bear — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — part of the head
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. safe — out of danger

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