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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: saw · season · cell · present · safe · trunk · bass · pop

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — in sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pop — music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — to visit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pop — soda
  16. present — the time now
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bass — low music
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. cell — a phone

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