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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — a series
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kick — in football

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