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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: toast · safe · cap · chest · mate · spell · trunk · branch

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spell — a short time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. toast — bread
  14. chest — of your body
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mate — a partner
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spell — magic
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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