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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
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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: cue · chest · degree · safe · plane · season · current · trunk

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cue — a hint
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cue — for pool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cue — a signal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. degree — temperature
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. current — electric
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. season — in sport
  24. current — happening now

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