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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: game · fall · pass · root · safe · wake · mate · deal

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — a friend
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. deal — to handle
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — the cause
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. game — a match
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — to succeed

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