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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: tear · root · rule · patient · wound · safe · land · ball

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rule — a law
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. land — ground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. land — a country

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