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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: mate · kid · last · deal · lean · leaves · root · safe

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. root — the cause
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. last — finally
  7. lean — thin
  8. kid — child
  9. last — final
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — to handle
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. root — of a word
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. last — to go on
  24. mate — a partner

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