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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: safe · bank · track · swing · can · sharp · trunk · net

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. track — a song
  3. swing — to play on
  4. track — a path
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — to be able to
  10. sharp — clever
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. net — after costs
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — for catching
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of a tree

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