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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 116 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. capital — a city
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a word
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash

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