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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · saw · cell · racket · last · game · safe · trunk

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cell — a phone
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. game — a match
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. last — final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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