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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — to shout
  12. root — of a word
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a plant
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. last — to go on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — certain

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