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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 · trunk · season · roll · mug · row · arm · jam

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mug — a face
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. season — in sport
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. roll — a list
  15. season — of the year
  16. mug — a cup
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — a line
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. roll — a cake

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