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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: rush · kid · safe · land · nail · root · rest · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — the cause
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. kid — to tease
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rest — a break
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kid — child
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — to come down
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rush — a thrill

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