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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 124 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — money
  14. bore — to tire
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — electric
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — hurry

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