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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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. root — of a plant
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fall — the season
  7. root — the cause
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — of a word
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — to keep track
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. track — a path
  22. game — a match
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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