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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · tear · cabinet · date · season · trunk · safe · bowl

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — of the year
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. game — a match
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — in sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. date — on the calendar

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