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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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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: safe · shower · mark · pop · file · pass · root · ball

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ball — a great time
  3. shower — rain
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. root — the cause
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — to wash

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