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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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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: board · trunk · safe · land · stick · mouse · rest · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a hat
  4. land — ground
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — a country
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — a break
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — a lid
  18. land — to come down
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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