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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: safe · kid · track · fall · nail · root · rest · bay

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. root — the cause
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a word
  7. kid — child
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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