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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mate — to breed
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fork — in a road
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mate — a friend

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