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

Word bank: root · mark · tear · squash · suit · ground · safe · cue

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — a position
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mark — a grade
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ground — crushed
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ground — the earth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. root — the cause
  21. cue — for pool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — a hint

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