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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · root · safe · race · file · rule

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — humankind
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rule — government
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — a law
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — to rule out

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