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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.

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: season · dip · bulb · trunk · rest · racket · safe · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rest — a break
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — to dunk

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