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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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Word bank
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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: pit · bore · pass · calf · safe · saw · swing · root

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. root — the cause
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bore — to tire
  13. swing — in golf
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bore — to drill
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pit — in a race
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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