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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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468
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: field · sharp · lie · trunk · safe · cell · cabinet · spell

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spell — letters
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cell — in biology
  11. field — farmland
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — a subject
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — for sport
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — an untruth

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