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

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. net — for catching
  9. wake — a trail
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chest — a box
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — of your body

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