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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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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 · land · stick · cell · arm · lean · pit · trunk

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cell — a phone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — to come down
  24. arm — a part of something

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