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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: land · firm · trunk · safe · scale · pop · rash · bay

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rash — hasty
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. firm — steady
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pop — music
  16. land — a country
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — in music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — out of danger

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