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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 · safe · tear · file · cue · wake · roll · lean

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. roll — a list
  3. cue — a hint
  4. roll — a cake
  5. tear — from crying
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. file — a tool
  24. lean — to bend

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