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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: trunk · rule · arm · fork · tube · safe · perch · land

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fork — in a road
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — government
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. land — a country
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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