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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 · tear · land · staff · safe · roll · stem · squash

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. stem — to come from
  6. land — a country
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. staff — employees
  13. root — of a word
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — the cause
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. root — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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