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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.

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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: ball · safe · face · trunk · cabinet · stem · calf · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — to go on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — to point toward
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. last — finally
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a great time

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