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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rash — hasty
  3. last — to go on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — a country
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. root — of a word
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rash — a series
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. land — ground
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. last — finally
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. kick — with a leg

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