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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: lie · season · trunk · safe · ball · ground · bulb · game

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — the earth
  5. season — in sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ground — a position
  16. ball — a dance
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bulb — of a plant

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