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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: lie · fan · land · safe · trunk · march · rock · racket

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — ground
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. land — to come down
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. land — a country
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — a stone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. march — music
  22. rock — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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