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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · kick · calf · mine · fan · cell · roll · safe

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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