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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — to come from
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. root — the cause
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. shower — rain
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. shower — to wash
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. temple — a place of worship

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