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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: trunk · dip · roll · band · stick · rest · safe · patient

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rest — a break
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. roll — a list
  22. dip — to sink
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rest — what's left

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