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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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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: roll · patient · safe · mate · calf · race · root · fall

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — the arms race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — to drop
  12. race — humankind
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a list
  16. mate — a friend
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a partner
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — a contest
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — the season

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