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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: safe · trunk · lie · bulb · spell · root · patient · season

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. spell — a short time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. root — of a word
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — in sport
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spell — magic
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spell — letters
  19. root — of a plant
  20. season — of the year
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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