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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: race · fall · safe · lie · trunk · cell · nail · board

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. race — humankind
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. race — the arms race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — a contest
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cell — in biology
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — a committee

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