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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: press · scale · nail · trunk · wound · fork · safe · toast

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — in music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. toast — bread
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — newspapers
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. press — to push
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. press — a publisher

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