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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 120 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.

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: press · safe · trunk · rest · suit · calf · season · mate

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — in sport
  13. press — to push
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mate — to breed
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — clothes
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a partner
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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