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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — of a plant
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — the cause
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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