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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.

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: net · safe · bore · scale · racket · trunk · cold · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cold — not warm
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — to tire
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — in music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — after costs
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to drill
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — in sport
  23. cold — an illness
  24. scale — for weighing

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