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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 116 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: pitcher · pit · trunk · cell · wake · band · cap · safe

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. band — a ring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. safe — out of danger

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