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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: safe · snap · hand · root · ball · chest · pitch · wound

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hand — help
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a great time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — a box
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — of a word
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a dance
  20. snap — to click
  21. root — the cause
  22. hand — in cards
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chest — of your body

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