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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: trunk · patient · safe · charge · season · fork · race · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. race — humankind
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. season — of the year
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fall — to drop
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fork — in a road
  21. season — in sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — the season

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