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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. root — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. scale — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. root — of a word
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. root — the cause
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — a subject
  19. rush — hurry
  20. field — farmland
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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