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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — the time now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. present — there
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. root — the cause
  22. last — to go on
  23. kid — child
  24. safe — out of danger

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