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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: shower · safe · racket · wound · trunk · craft · rest · season

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. craft — a skill
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — of the year
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. shower — rain
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — in sport
  24. rest — a break

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