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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 · present · dip · lean · file · straw · band

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. band — a ring
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. present — a gift
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lean — thin
  11. band — a music group
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lean — to bend
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — the time now
  19. file — a line of people
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. present — there
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. file — a document
  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