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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: root · coach · rush · safe · rule · rest · clip · cell

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. rule — government
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — of a word
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — a video
  15. rest — a break
  16. root — the cause
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rule — a law
  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