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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: cell · trunk · safe · race · chair · bulb · stand · straw

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. cell — in biology
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cell — a phone
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of a car

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