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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.

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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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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: temple · cue · tear · safe · trunk · ground · mouse · wave

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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