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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.

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: racket · season · safe · straw · mouse · ball · temple · trunk

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. season — of the year
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a dance
  24. trunk — of a car

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