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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: date · trunk · key · ball · safe · foot · bound · straw

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a great time
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a dance
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bound — tied together
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. date — the fruit
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bound — certain

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