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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. root — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. root — of a word
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. field — a subject

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