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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: roll · trunk · safe · row · stand · wave · coach · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cell — in biology
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a list
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. row — to paddle
  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