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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: trunk · fork · lean · pitch · temple · season · safe · mug

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. season — of the year
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — thin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — completely
  23. season — in sport
  24. fork — in a road

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