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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 116 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: lash · wound · wind · safe · key · last · trunk · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. last — finally
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. key — for a lock
  14. last — to go on
  15. game — a match
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wind — moving air
  22. last — final
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wound — an injury

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