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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · bear · lean · ground · root · safe · craft · bat

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — crushed
  4. season — of the year
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bear — the animal
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. season — in sport
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — the earth
  24. root — the cause

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