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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: lean · cap · cue · safe · roll · jam · cold · trunk

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cap — a lid
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cue — a signal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lean — thin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. roll — a list

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