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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. root — of a plant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. root — the cause
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cold — not warm
  13. chip — to eat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. root — of a word
  18. chip — for betting
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. present — the time now

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